Memorandum from Rear Admiral R. H. Hillenkoetter to President Harry S. Truman

ER0-2394 SECRET CENTRAL INTELLIGENCE AGENCY WASHINGTON 25, D.C. 8 December 1948 MEMORANDUM FOR THE PRESIDENT The military seized power in Peru on 30 October and in Vene- zuela on 24 November. The principal causes seem to have been: a. In both countries the armies desired to preserve their prerogatives. (There had been a trend to lessen the influence of the armies in political matters.) b. In both countries conservative elements were fearful that the established governments were inaugurating policies considered dangerous to conservative interests. In Peru the conserva- tive elements gave active support to the military; in Venezuela they passively approved the coup. C. In neither country was the majority party suffi- ciently organized to block the coup. The is TRUMAN government party was surprisingly weak in NARA Venezuela, while in Peru it had been prevented by circumstances from setting up control of the government. d. In both countries the governments had failed to make any important advances in the solution of economic problems and as a result the population generally was discontented and apparently in- different to change. Conditions in Ecuador may give the army an opportunity to assume control of the government because: a. There is popular discontent with the govern- ment's inability to effect solutions of the economic problems; DECLASSIFIED RAC, 11/19/07 Authority. NLT-PSF-50-7-12 By so NARA, Date SECRET